Ministry of Justice

Twelfth Annual Report of the UK's National Preventive Mechanism

Victoria Atkins: The United Nations Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT), which the UK ratified in December 2003, requires States Parties to establish a “National Preventive Mechanism” (NPM) to carry out visits to places of detention to prevent torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.The Government established the UK NPM in March 2009 (Hansard 31 March 2009, Vol. 490, Part No. 57, Column 56WS). The UK NPM is currently composed of 21 scrutiny bodies covering the whole of the UK.Following previous practice, I present to Parliament the 12th NPM’s annual report (Command Paper 607). This report covers the period from 23 March 2020 to 1 April 2021.I commend the important work that the NPM has carried out over the year and the NPM’s independent role in safeguarding the human rights of detainees across the UK and its role in preventing torture and inhuman and degrading treatment. The Government takes allegations of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment very seriously and any allegations are investigated fully. The Government does not participate in, solicit, encourage or condone the use of torture for any purpose.The NPM’s report focuses on the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic for those in detention settings. The report notes the actions taken by detention authorities in response to the pandemic which averted the serious risk of large numbers of infections among people in detention, but that these had impacts on key issues such as the time out of cell, education provision and visits.I am grateful for the work the NPM and its members have continued to undertake during the pandemic and the findings set out in its report. The Government is committed to ensuring that those in detention in the UK are treated with respect and care.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Ninth Meeting of the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee

Elizabeth Truss: The Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee met yesterday, 21 February, in Brussels. I co-chaired the meeting alongside European Commission Vice President, Maroš Šefčovič. A Joint Statement was agreed and published on GOV.UK.The Committee received an update on the work of the Withdrawal Agreement Specialised Committees since the last meeting on 9 June, They also discussed citizens’ rights and progress on negotiations to find practical solutions to the problems with the Northern Ireland Protocol.On citizens’ rights, both parties noted the continued constructive collaboration to ensure the rights of our respective nationals are protected. The UK urged the EU to ensure consistent support for all UK nationals living in the EU with a focus on three areas of concern. First, UK nationals in Member States having difficulties accessing their rights because of requests for permits which are not required. Second, Member States requesting information of UK nationals which is not required under the Withdrawal Agreement in order to secure their status; and third, a lack of safeguards and clarity on appeals where residence is not granted. The EU raised its concerns with aspects of the UK’s EU Settlement Scheme, focused on the legal base for guarantee of rights and the need for those with pre-settled status to apply for settled status at the point of qualification. The UK made clear there is no legal uncertainty for EU citizens in the UK.In relation to the Northern Ireland Protocol, both parties emphasised that they shared an overriding commitment to protect the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement in all its dimensions. The UK outlined the problems the Protocol posed for trade within the UK internal market and Northern Ireland’s integral place in the United Kingdom, which was putting at risk the delicate balance essential to that Agreement and political stability in Northern Ireland. This underlined the increased urgency of finding solutions. Both sides reiterated the importance of further engagement, including with the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive, and wider Northern Ireland civic society and business.The UK and EU also discussed activity in the Withdrawal Agreement Specialised Committees since the previous Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee on 9 June 2021, and agreed to adopt two technical Decisions:- DECISION No [1]/2022 amending of the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community - principally covering data sharing linked to social security coordination.- DECISION No [2]/2022 amending Decision No 7/2020 establishing a list of 25 persons who are willing and able to serve as members of an arbitration panel under the Agreement - to reflect a change on the EU side.

20th Replenishment of International Development Association

Elizabeth Truss: The UK will shortly publish its International Development Strategy and the FCDO will publish its Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) allocations, which will promote British expertise and bring more countries into the orbit of free, democratic nations and ultimately benefit the British people.As part of this, we are rebalancing the aid budget towards bilateral programmes to give the UK greater control and flexibility over how taxpayers’ money is spent.In December 2021, the UK pledged £1,414 million to the 20th Replenishment of the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA20). This funding will support COVID-19 vaccines, tackle climate change, get girls back into school and promote women’s economic empowerment.The UK will be the third largest donor to IDA20, after the US and Japan, and our pledge will bring us more in line with our share of our global ODA.Our IDA20 pledge is a reduction of 54% compared to our previous pledge to the 19th Replenishment. This will allow us to focus funding on UK bilateral programmes and control how exactly taxpayer’s money is used to support our priorities, including clean infrastructure investment, promoting British expertise, supporting women and girls, delivering humanitarian aid.Thanks to the UK’s engagement in the IDA20 negotiations the World Bank has committed to:provide health services to over 285 million people;close learning gaps and improve learning outcomes for girls in 20 IDA countries;support IDA countries to contain the COVID-19 pandemic through vaccine rollout, preventive measures, testing, treatment and care;ensure that at least 35% of IDA financing tackles climate change;fully align World Bank IDA operations with the Paris Agreement by 2023;support women’s empowerment, by expanding access to affordable sexual and reproductive, adolescent, and maternal health services, in at least 30 IDA countries;support all IDA countries to strengthen preparedness for future crises;mobilise private sector investment to create jobs in IDA countries.We will continue to push for multilateral reform, building alliances with like-minded partners and improving value for money.Consistent with the International Development Act 2002, and before any financial contributions are made, the Government will lay statutory orders relating to the IDA20 replenishment for the consent of the House of Commons.

Department of Health and Social Care

Healthcare Payments to the EEA and Switzerland

Edward Argar: First Annual Report on International Healthcare Payments under the Healthcare (European Economic Area and Switzerland Arrangements) Act 2019 I have today laid before Parliament the first annual report on international healthcare payments pursuant to Section 6 of the Healthcare (European Economic Area and Switzerland Arrangements) Act 2019.The 2019 Act was enacted as a result of the UK’s decision to leave the EU. It provided the legislative means to respond to a wide range of possible outcomes of the UK's exit from the EU in relation to reciprocal healthcare, including the implementation of new reciprocal healthcare agreements with a European Economic Area (EEA) state, Switzerland or an international organisation.The 2019 Act implements the Social Security Coordination Protocol to the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement. That Agreement ensures UK residents continue to benefit from reciprocal healthcare arrangements, including covering necessary healthcare when travelling to Europe (previously known as the EHIC scheme, now the GHIC scheme). Planned healthcare arrangements have also continued after EU Exit (known as the S2 scheme); and eligible pensioners, frontier workers and certain other groups can have their healthcare costs covered when they move to the EU (known as S1 scheme). Under the 2019 Act, the UK has also implemented the various separation agreements with the European Economic Area and Switzerland.Building on the successful continuation of EU reciprocal healthcare agreements, the Government now wishes to negotiate further agreements with other States to bring greater benefits for UK nationals. The Health and Care Bill includes amendments to the 2019 Act which will enable us to implement comprehensive healthcare agreements with countries outside the EEA and Switzerland.This report covers payments made under the powers conferred by the 2019 Act between the end of the Transition Period on 31 December 2020 and 31 March 2021. During this period only one payment was made under the 2019 Act payment powers for discretionary planned treatment. Other payments made to the EEA and Switzerland during this period were for healthcare incurred prior to the end of the Transition Period. These payments are reimbursable as a matter of EU law and not therefore paid pursuant to the 2019 Act. Member States are now in the process of submitting claims which have been paid under the 2019 Act, details of which will be provided in the second report which will be published after the end of March 2022.